Day 22: Created to Become Like Christ

(I had to move this post so that sequentially it was in the right spot. It was posted Sunday, Monday's post will follow shortly)

Today was a great day. I had a great time at church, a fellowship lunch with some friends,and then we took the kids to an overnight play date. They get to have a sleep over and I get to have a date with my wife after a fun beach photo shoot. So, I apologize for today's blog going up so late. Today's chapter was very uplifting. I did read it right after church and it helped make an even better day.

Today's chapter talks about how I was created to become like Christ. What great news is that. Of all the things I want to become, it's more like Christ. The image of Christ is what were made in. God formed Adam in the Garden of Eden in His image, and after the fall, we moved further and further away from that perfect image. Christ came to show us how to do that. How to live in complete compliance with God's will.

I know I can never be God, there is only one "Big G". I can't even be a god (little g). And I won't be an angel when I get to Heaven either. All those positions are already full. No, God has a job set aside just for me. My perfect job. (I hope it involves a camera.) But the job that God has picked out for me, the place He has prepared for me requires some training. It's not training like my current job requires where I have to learn a skill with my hands.

I am training my character to be like Christ's. I've got a trainer to help me out while I'm here. God sent the Holy Spirit to help me create Christlike character. I can't do it on my own. But I haven't been cooperating with the Holy Spirit. He's been trying to teach me to live like Christ and I haven't been. But, Obedience unlocks God's power. I've been working on it, and getting better at it, but it's a life long process.

God has been using people and events in my life to help the Holy Spirit mold my character into the image Christ modeled for us. Even the things in my life that I didn't understand at the time, when I look at them from this perspective, I can see God's hand in them. And I always can remind myself that I will never have to endure the punishment I deserve because Christ was the perfect offering to God for my sins.

If He went through all that trouble to save me, He must have a really important job for me. And what He is asking of me in return is to be more like Him. If I think about it, it's not really that hard; God wants me to be kind to people, to love others like He loves me. I can do that. With His help and my helper the Holy Spirit.

Paul writing to the Church in Corinth encourages them to allow the Spirit to work within them.

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
2 Cor 3:18 (NLT)

The question today is: In what area of my life do I need to ask for the Spirit's power to be like Christ today? There is one relationship in my life that I need the Spirit's help with. It requires me to just step out into the raging water and trust that God will not let the currents of emotion pull me under.

Remember: I was created to become like Christ.